Seat belt reminders
The seat belt reminder evaluation assesses the audible and visual alerts for the front and second-row seating positions of passenger vehicles and the driver seat of commercial vehicles.
How vehicles are evaluated
- For each seating position that is evaluated, trials are conducted with the belt unbuckled at startup and with the belt buckled at startup and then unfastened while the vehicle is in motion.
- The rating is based on the timing, volume, frequency and duration of the audible and visual alerts in each of those scenarios.
- Passenger vehicles should issue audible and visual alerts at startup if a seat belt for an occupied front seat is unbuckled. These alerts should also be issued any time a front-row occupant unfastens a seat belt while the vehicle is in motion. Alerts should last at least 90 seconds or until the seat belt is fastened or the vehicle slows to less than 6 mph.
- Commercial vehicles should issue audible and visual alerts at startup if the driver’s seat belt is unbuckled and any time the driver unfastens it while the vehicle is in motion.
- In passenger vehicles, a visual indicator should also show second-row belt status at startup for at least 60 seconds or until the seat belts are fastened or the vehicle slows to less than 6 mph. There should be an audible reminder of at least 30 seconds if a second-row passenger unfastens their belt while the vehicle is in motion.
More information
For details on other tests we conduct, visit the About our tests page.